A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.
We hear about San Clemente, the Roman Station. If you ever get to Rome, this is a must visit church. It will be one of the most interesting places you see. Fr. Troadec schools us in how intimate the Lord is with us, how close. I’m reminded of “noverim te, noverim me”.
Yesterday’s podcast – HERE
From a reader on this 2nd Sunday of Lent. (Note: because of the blog migration Early Tuesday 2 March, comments posted after 0600 EST 11 UTC) will not migrate. That’ll give you time to “think before posting”.)
Wanted to pass this along, but it’s probably par for the course.
Our homily today at our TLM in ___ was Cardinal Sarah’s letter about the SSPX announcement. It felt like being gut punched listening to it.
We are having Mass in an old gymnasium, kneeling on a hard wood floor, folding chairs, etc. Every Mass a low Mass now. No sacraments available in traditional rite except Eucharist. Hearing Cardinal Sarah’s letter felt like being sucker punched. How much more do we need to endure just to attend Mass in the way my grandparents did?
I don’t know how much more I can personally endure being at a diocese TLM. It really feels like we are hated and unwanted. If anything Cardinal Sarah’s letter makes me want to attend at the SSPX. They only have chapels, but at least they WANT us. They preach about the day’s gospel and how to better ourselves. Not “obedience uber alles”.
I feel bishop Schneider’s letter is much more representative and comforting. Rome’s answer is to hope we all die off or go away. They say they don’t want a “split”, yet they do everything possible to bring that forth.
I pray for the SSPX every day. They, and the ICRSS and FSSP seem to be the only prelates in the church who actually care about people attached to tradition.
Sorry to complain, but I feel Cardinal Sarah’s letter does nothing but push people attached to tradition away from the church. It reads as mean spirited and “obedience above all”.
I hurt for all of you. It is hard to watch people suffer so needlessly.
It’s all so senseless.
Let us all pray to the Guardian Angels of the key figures in this dreadful stand off as well as to Mary, Queen of the Clergy, to intercede with her Divine Son, the High Priest, to open hearts and minds.
Holy Angels, defend us.
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, put your mantle over us and help your children.
UPDATE: A few days ago we tested a migration. It all went well. Now we have done the real migration.
A lot of links broke, especially to images. I am manually fixing them.
The look is the same. There may be some minor changes in functionality, but they will affect me more than you.
I’m not sure how the mobile view will be affected yet. One step at a time.
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JohnMagdalen
LTLM
ScarlettStatton
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Today’s Wordle: 4
This… to Leo.
“It seems short-sighted to brush aside the hunger of many young Christians for ritual and formality by branding it as imbecile nostalgia. Why not enable them to find within their own tradition a patrimony rightfully theirs?” — Bishop Erik Varden, September 2024 pic.twitter.com/CJw3etKgbN
— Mark Lambert (@sitsio) March 1, 2026
Black to move and mate in 4. HERE
A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.
Today the Roman Station is Santa Maria in Domnica on the Coelian Hill. Then we hear from Pope Benedict’s Message for Lent of 2013, that sad and fateful year.
Yesterday’s podcast – HERE
A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.
Today brief comments on the Roman Station, St. Peter’s on the Vatican Hill, and about the ancient Ember Days, and their “arc” according to Joseph Ratzinger. Then Card. Bacci gives us a good old fashioned talking to about the need to make a good examination of conscience.
Yesterday’s podcast – HERE
With this Ember Friday we are 38 days out from Easter. In the Gospel for today in the Traditional Latin Mass we have the scene from John 5 about the paralytic man waiting by the pool for the angel to stir the healing water. He has been waiting for years… 38 years.
I sense the reason why this Gospel was chosen for this day.
In his Tractates on the Gospel of John, St. Augustine of Hippo interprets the 38 years of the man’s infirmity in John 5 as a symbolic number.
Augustine argues that 40 signifies the Law (especially the Decalogue fulfilled in the fourfold world, that is the four compass points, the whole world), while 38 is 40 – 2, thus indicating the Law lacking the two precepts of charity.
From In Ioannis Evangelium Tractatus 17, 4:
“The number forty is consecrated to the Law… For forty signifies the Law. But the Law is fulfilled in two precepts, that is, in the love of God and in the love of our neighbor… Therefore that man was infirm thirty-eight years, because he had not yet the two which complete forty.”
Augustine’s reasoning is this:
40 = the Law in its fullness.
2 = the twin commandments of love (cf. Matt 22:37–40).
38 = the Law without charity, hence spiritual paralysis.
The paralytic represents humanity under the Law without grace. Knowledge of commandments alone does not heal. Sacrificial love, charity, love infused by Christ perfects and vivifies. When Christ commands, “Rise,” He supplies what was lacking, the charity that fulfills the Law.
Hence, for Augustine, the 38 years signify a spiritual deficiency. Moral structure without the animating principle of love are inadequate.
There is an old phrase…
The bread was fresh and was good. The cheese was not and was excellent.
I have to share this.
Italy ??
Gorgonzola cheese is widely believed to have been first produced in 879AD in the town of Gorgonzola near Milan, making it one of the world’s oldest blue-veined cheeses. Absolutely delicious.
— James Melville ? (@JamesMelville) February 26, 2026
I will be going to Rome before Palm Sunday and I will – without question – get some of this ASAP. The question is, picante or dolce?
I have often gotten my cheeses at Ruggieri at the Campo de’ Fiori. However, on my way home from the Campo or from The Parish™ at the Piazza Farnese there is a small “organic” grocer which has even better cheeses, though fewer choices.
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Uncleduge
Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links. US HERE – WHY? This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc.. At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.
I love this church in Paris. Inter alia, it was the seat of the Confraternity of Our Lady Queen of the Clergy.
On this day in 1977, a group of traditionalists led by Mgr. Francois Ducaud-Bourget, entered the Church of Saint Nicholas du Chardonnet in Paris, and the SSPX have occupied it ever since.
Mgr Ducaud-Bourget was asked “By what right do you come here?” He replied “We come in… pic.twitter.com/lUpWQKyyPg
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) February 27, 2026
And…
Rome restores Bernini’s elephant statue near Pantheon after tusk was snapped off.https://t.co/W0FPl7S363
— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) February 27, 2026
Look! Up in the sky!
FEBRUARY 28, 2026
Don’t forget to look up: a rare celestial spectacle is unfolding. Six planets are tracing a graceful arc across the evening sky. pic.twitter.com/bsorDMB9Sv
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) February 27, 2026
Ummm… I don’t think he can do this.
Monsignor Breis Pereira de Maceió, Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil), has declared excommunication for any priest who celebrates or any faithful who attends the traditional Mass outside the only place authorised by the bishop.
Let us pray for liturgical peace. https://t.co/18xzEqUNja
— Catholic Conclave (@cathconclave) February 26, 2026
White to move and mate in 4 HERE
A 5 minute daily podcast to help you in your Lenten discipline.
Today we learn about the Station of all four Ember Fridays. Pius Parsch on the happiness of a clear conscience.
The Benedictines of Gower Abbey sing to us. [US HERE – UK HERE]
They also have this, Tenebrae at Ephesus
These are the RESPONSORIES of Tenebrae for all three days of the Triduum. They are, arguably, the most beautiful chants of the entire liturgical year.
Yesterday’s podcast – HERE
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
hwriggles4 on ROME 23/10 – Day 01-02: On the ground and in my digs: “Glad you made it to Rome in one piece. I am sure The Parish and old friends will be happy…”
on ROME 26/10– Day 01: A rocky beginning: ““Cardinal Gambetti will be replaced as Archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica this wknd“ Let us pray this happens and let…”
on ROME 26/10– Day 01: A rocky beginning: “well, i’m grateful it wasn’t worse. i’m praying a novena to the guardian angels, would appreciate your intercession to them…”
on My View For Awhile – Flight Day: “Father, for what it’s worth, have you considered switching your status to United? SpaceX WiFi for free, and all your…”
on My View For Awhile – Flight Day: ““Travelling around Europe by plane is not fun.” As the saying goes, your mileage may vary. I was in 9…”
on My View For Awhile – Flight Day: “I’m finding it harder to get upgrades, too. Perhaps it’s the extreme pressure of jet fuel prices.” on A Roman Mystery: The Lost Tomb of St. Jerome: “the novel should include some of the Sistine intrigues too. i so love St. Pius V (s/b St Pius the…”
A Daily Prayer for Priests
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